PHUKET: Police fought off a crowd of angry onlookers on Phuket as they tried to beat up a confessed murderer and rapist at the scene of his crimes today.

One officer suffered a broken finger and another a bruised face in the wild ruckus. About 60 Phuket police and volunteers at times had difficulty controlling the crowd that swelled to 300.

The violation and killing of 17-year-old Sunisa Chaiyoi on Tuesday stirred emotions and aroused concern for the safety of her confessed attacker, Kittikhun Wonghajak, 28.

After one postponement yesterday in fear of his safety, police went ahead with the reenactment at Khun Sunisa's family home in Chanakan Village, Chalong, today.

The word got around and the crowd grew. The more agitated and angry locals moved in to try to land blows on the handcuffed man, who hails from Phuket.

At one stage, the door of the house was broken as onlookers tried to get at Kittikhun.One policeman was hit by mistake because he was wearing a similar shirt.

Khun Kittikhun was led through the ''replay'' - breaking into the house, raiding the fridge and having a meal, ransacking other parts of the house then entering Khun Sunisa's bedroom, where he found her asleep.

Using a pillow, he then reenacted holding down Khun Sunisa on the bed while violating her anally and vaginally with a candle.

Doctors who have examined Khun Sunisa's body at Vachira Phuket Hospital in Phuket City have yet to determine whether she died from suffocation or loss of blood.

A full autopsy was later performed by specialists in Bangkok and the body arrived back on Phuket about 10.30pm last night.

Some of Khun Sunisa's relatives were at the house today, where blood still stains the bed in her room.

Khun Kittikorn was later taken under escort to Phuket Prison in Phuket City. Other inmates on Phuket are likely to be no less angry than Khun Sunisa's neighbors.